LANSBURY CONCERNED

Evening Post, Volume CXIII, Issue 98, 27 April 1932, Page 9

LANSBURY CONCERNED

URGES SETTLEMENT

NEED OF COMMON-SENSE

LONDON, 15th April.

A settlement of the dispute between the New South "Wales and Commonwealth Governments "along lines of mutual respect and justice as between nations" is urged by the Leader of the Opposition, Mr. George Lansbury. "The British Labour Party would be desperately shocked if any sort of violent conflict arose between New South :■Wales and the Commonwealth,"1 said Mr. Lansbury in a special interview. "Naturally," added the speaker, "we cannot take sides in the dispute between the Commonwealth and "New South ■ Wales; but surely the peoples of Australia will find a way of escaping disorders without hurting each other. "Australia must be.considered as.an economic unit, and anything that ruined one State would react /on tho others.

"Therefore, we hope wise counsel will prevail, and thatj whatever differ-ences-may at present divide them, they at least will realise^that the masses of Australia are one nation, politically, socially, and economically." "What is most needed in Australia," says the Agent:Genoral for New South Wales, Mr. A. C. Willis, "is common sense. ' ' ■

"It is impossible to judge at this distance where events are -leading, but I am sure there are forces of conciliation of which London knows nothing, and I am confident that if the Commonwealth and the States conferred, even at this late stage, and faced the realities of the debt question, further strife could be arrested." ~'-.■